“The First Gay President”

That’s what the new issue of Newsweek calls Barack Obama. Here is the cover:

The article on how Obama is our first gay president is by–who else?–Andrew Sullivan. Andrew has been campaigning for gay marriage for years, and apparently buys the idea that Obama’s verbal support, unaccompanied by any action other than fundraising appeals, is somehow important. The media reaction to Obama’s flip-flop on the issue has been universally adoring, as far as I have seen. Newsweek goes so far as to award him a gay-themed halo. So far, though, there is no evidence that Obama’s turnabout on gay marriage has been a hit with voters.

First Bill Clinton was anointed, weirdly, as our first black president. But he wasn’t, of course. Now our actual first black president, Barack Obama, has been anointed as our first gay president. Which he isn’t, either. The odd thing is that the news outlets that promote these “firsts” consider them to be high compliments. Coming out for gay marriage isn’t just good public policy, it is angelic!

Mitt Romney will be, most likely, our first Mormon president. If that happens, it will be a remarkable accomplishment, given how relatively few Mormons there are and how recently they were viciously persecuted. Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered in 1832 and murdered by a mob in 1844. Do you think that our newspapers and magazines will celebrate the election of our first Mormon to the presidency? No, I don’t think so either. No halos for Mitt.